The Hunt For Jenna Mason
by supersniperkitty
Summary: I couldn't scream. I couldn't see. I couldn't breathe. All I knew was that whoever was carrying me had really nice arms.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hey all! This is my first story! I would really appreciate it if you reviewed! I need all the criticism I can get!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy. I don't own the song Pink and Black by Tyler Hilton either.

* * *

Chapter 1

Xx_xXOo_oOXx_xX

"JENNA!"

"WHAT?!"

"…your shoe's untied."

Jenna looked down, and then smacked me.

"You liar! I'm wearing flip-flops!"

"Made ya look!" I grinned, hoping it looked innocent.

Well aware that Jenna was about to hit me again, I grabbed my bags from the scanner-thing and ran to the waiting area. I found a nice, comfy-looking seat near a window and pulled out my iPod.

Jenna caught up when Pink and Black by Tyler Hilton started playing.

"What were you thinking? You know I get lost in airports!"

_So, yeah, you said you heard this one  
Maybe lived it twice  
But with bias on my side_

"Sorry Jenna. I guess I was just afraid of you hitting me again."

Jenna sighed and sat down by me. "So…when do you think the plane will leave?"

"Probably at 4, just like when we bought the tickets. I don't think they changed that."

_I swear I've got a different one  
To be laid to line  
And with a dime for your advice_

"Right…just thought I'd make sure. When do you think we'll get there?"

"I don't know. I didn't bother to memorize that part. We'll get there when we get there."

"Right."

_You never saw a man  
Make a fist and grab so fast he said_

_Good luck you know you better just forget it  
Cause love is never in the same place that you left it_

Xx_xXOo_oOXx_xX

Jenna doesn't like to talk about _that_ day. But I think about it a lot. Maybe that's why I'm sane. Or is it insane? I guess I'll never know. I don't really care. I think I'm strong for accepting it. Hayarta thinks so too.

I got up and walked to my dresser, grabbing a skirt and a fancy shirt. I quickly put them on, brushing my hair out and twisting it into an elaborate knot. I put on some jeweled pumps, a diamond necklace, and my four favorite bracelets. Court was formal after all.

* * *

**A/N:** So, what did you think? Let me know! I know it's not much at the moment, but I promise that I have...slightly large plans for it!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **You should listen to some elevator music during the flashback parts for this chapter. How do you tell what parts are flashbacks? They're between these: Xx_xXOo_oOXx_xX

Thanks so much to: _Spoodles. _I hope this is an acceptable offering. =D_ Phantomrox87 _Here's the next chapter to spaz out again? AND _PrincessQF. _The answer to your question is in the next chapter, but it's kind of in-between the lines here and last chapter.

Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own anything. No books, songs, movies, but this idea is mine! I think…

* * *

Xx_xXOo_oOXx_xX

"JENNA!"

"WHAT?!"

"…your shoe's untied."

"No way! I'm not falling for that again!"

I looked away, and then peeked back at Jenna. She was staring at her shoes.

"Ha! You looked! I win again!"

Jenna's face bunched up and turned red. I think she was tired of being gullible.

"Just you wait! When we get to our hotel, I'm going to…to…"

"You're going to what?"

"I'm going to seduce you, th…" Jenna trailed off.

I cracked up. I couldn't handle it. I started laughing so hard I was shaking.

"You're going to _seduce_ me?!" I laughed harder.

"Shhh!" the passenger behind us said. I managed to calm down somewhat, but a smile two miles wide was still plastered on my face.

Jenna blinked. Her mouth was still open from stopping mid-sentence. Then she shook her head.

"That came out wrong," she said. "I meant I was going to _sedate_ you."

That set me off again.

"That has got to be the worst word screw-up I've ever heard come out of your mouth! And I thought…I thought," I was wheezing by now with laughter. "I thought the whole 'vibrate' thing was the worst you could do!"

"Hey! It's not my fault my phone went off!" That little incident occurred when we were playing Do You Love Your Neighbor with our college buddies.

"Yeah, but come on! Did you have to say you were vibrating while you were sitting on Jerry's lap?!"

Jenna crossed her arms and looked away, pouting.

I sat in my seat, clutching the stitch in my side. I decided to tease her a little more.

"So…what were you going to do after you seduced me?"

"Just drop it!"

I smiled. This was the best plane ride ever! So far…

Xx_xXOo_oOXx_xX

I smiled at the memory. It was far more entertaining than court was at the moment. There was also the incident with the passenger in front of us.

Xx_xXOo_oOXx_xX

After ten minutes of trying to fall asleep, I noticed the old man sitting in front of me was looking at Jenna like she had a chicken hat on. I waved my hand and he looked at me.

"Want to get your friend good?" he whispered.

I love a good joke. Smiling, I whispered back, "Oh yeah! What do you have in mind?"

"Just wake her up. Get a conversation going. I'll do the rest."

"Ok." I leaned over to Jenna at poked her in the ribs.

"Oi! Jenna! Wake up!" I said softly. I shook her a bit too.

"Tha's nah yur unicorn…" Jenna slurred.

"I didn't want a unicorn…I wanted a fire-breathing dragon," I said in a normal voice.

Jenna shot up at that. I had started her favorite debate. "Everyone knows unicorns are so much better than dragons!"

"Not so! Dragons eat unicorns for second breakfast!" Yes, I am a nerd.

"Dragons can't find unicorns! And no one kills unicorns! Dragons get slayed all the time!"

"Unicorns don't exist!"

"Neither do dragons!"

"Excuse me ladies," the old man interrupted.

I blinked. He chose _now_ of all times?

"…Yes?" we both said.

The man continued. "I couldn't help but notice, young lady, that you were going to seduce your friend here. Since she seems unwilling, I was wondering if you would seduce me instead."

"George!" the old woman sitting next to him exclaimed.

I covered my mouth to hide my smile. Jenna's mouth dropped open and her face turned red. She looked at me desperately, looking for a way out.

Resisting the urge to laugh maniacally, I shakily said, "Well, answer the man."

Jenna's eyes bugged out. She looked at the arm-rest in between us and saw the half-eaten bag of pretzels.

She grabbed the bag and chucked it straight at his face. Pretzels flew everywhere. The passengers behind us were telling us to be quiet. I was laughing so hard I was crying. George was chuckling quietly to himself. Jenna was hyperventilating.

"Jenna," I gasped, "I thought I was the only one in your life! I don't understand!"

"SHUT UP!" Jenna yelled. She crossed her arms and sat back in her seat.

"Just go to sleep," she muttered.

The flight attendant walked over. "Miss, please don't throw pretzels at other passengers."

Xx_xXOo_oOXx_xX

I looked up, chuckling, and saw that court was over. Already? Time really does fly when you're having fun.

* * *

I walked to the royal chambers after court, and found Jenna sitting on the balcony.

"Jenna?" I was hesitant to get near her, not knowing when she would snap. "Can I sit here?"

Taking her silence as an invitation, I sat down in the chair farthest from her.

"I missed you at court today," I started.

Nothing.

"I was actually thinking about the plane ride we took five years ago to get here. Do you remember?"

Still, only silence.

"Well, I suppose it was a long time ago. It was the one where you said you were going to seduce me, then the creepy old man in front of us asked if you could seduce him instead…"

A small smile came to Jenna's face.

"And then you freaked out and threw our bag of pretzels at him."

She lifted her head, and looked at me. Her eyes, so long dead, lit up a little at the memory.

And for that small moment, I caught a glimpse of the old Jenna.

* * *

**A/N: **The plot thickens! Kinda. And now you guys have a time-frame to go by! What happened in those 5 years? There's a glimpse of it next chapter! Plus, there's the added bonus of finding out why Jenna doesn't like to think of _that_ day. *scary music* duh duh dun!

The little magical button down there needs some love! =D

SSK


	3. Chapter 3

THE HUNT FOR JENNA MASON  
A story by SuperSniperKitty

**A/N:** For all you people who've been dying to know who the narrator is, here is the chapter!

This chapter was hard for me to write, since I thought it was going to be super serious! But, since it was getting too long for my liking (I like writing short chapters for some reason haha) I split it in half. This has a much better flow this way. It seems to have a bit of humor in it too! :) Sorry for the wait!

Many thanks to my wonderful Beta-Fish _Spoodles_ for helping me with my verb-tenses and for reviewing the last chapter! You are amazing!

Also, thank you _Phantomrox87, PrincessQF, enygami-me, _and _Iko. Willows _(It won't let me write your name right for some reason...sorry.) for reviewing. You guys are awesome! This chapter should answer all those questions you guys have…and hopefully bring up some more!

Remember that flashbacks are in between these cute little things! Xx_xXOo_oOXx_xX

**Disclaimer: **I don't know if I have to put these in for every chapter…Isn't it enough that I tell you all of my shame in the first two chapters? Sigh…I wished I owned something.

* * *

I left the royal rooms, and walked two floors down to my rooms. I found a random book and sat down to read.

Two hours later, Hayarta came home.

Hayarta wasn't particularly scary to look at. He didn't have fur, fangs, horns, or a beak. In fact, he looked almost human, if it weren't for the five-inch claws. His head was a little larger than most human's, and it was covered in short, black hair. His skin had a silvery undertone. He usually had a scowl firmly in place, unless he was looking at me.

The fact that he was Marak's military advisor made him a little scarier, but not by much.

"Hey," I said.

"Diem."

I huffed angrily. "I wasn't saying 'Hay' as in Hayarta. I was saying 'hey' as in, what's up?"

Hayarta blinked.

"Now, let's try that again," I said through clenched teeth. "Hey." I was getting really agitated.

"The ceiling."

I threw my book across the room. Hayarta raised his eyebrows.

"Would you stop that!" I yelled, and then marched into the bedroom. I wasn't usually like this. We usually got to the 'you're supposed to say that's cool, then walk away' part before I freaked at him.

Hayarta followed me.

"You visited Jenna again." It wasn't a question, but I nodded anyways. My back was towards him, but I knew he was shaking his head. I could feel the tears coming on, but I held them back.

I heard his footsteps, then I felt Hayarta's arms, his wonderful arms, wrap around me. I broke down and sobbed. It wasn't fair. Jenna was the reason I was trapped down here, yet she still managed to make me feel like it was all my fault.

Xx_xXOo_oOXx_xX

(Listen to Blue Jeans by Jessie James)

We got off the plane at 1 a.m. Or so my watch said. Jenna's cell phone said it was 6 in the morning.

I shrugged and we looked at each other. "All nighter!" We yelled at the same time, and then burst into laughter. Everything's funnier when you're tired…

It took about an hour and a half for us to get our luggage and find our way to the Heathrow Express. Jenna was no help because she just gets lost, and I was no help because there were a lot of people around, and I don't do well in crowds. We eventually found it and got on the train.

Jenna's funny in the way that when she gets tired, she gets really hyper. It makes no sense to me. I sat in my seat on the train while she ran around, looking out windows and telling me to look at things.

I shook my head. Jenna was a tiny girl with lots of energy. But that wasn't the only reason people stared.

Jenna's gorgeous. Petite, but curvy, graceful, golden hair that came down to the small of her back, dark green eyes, a smile that could light up even the darkest of dungeons. The men drooled, and women looked away.

I'm nowhere close to that. Hair that can't decide between blonde and brown, faded-blue eyes, built like a beanpole… you get the picture.

Jenna ran past me to look out the window next to me.

"Jenna," I said.

"Yeah?" Jenna glanced at me, then looked back outside. "Wow! Look at that!"

I looked out the window. "Wow! Cars! I've never seen one before!"

It was Jenna's turn to shake her head. "They're driving on the _left_ side of the road. Isn't that weird?"

"Not as weird as you," I muttered.

"I heard that!"

"So?"

Jenna pouted. "That's supposed to make you feel bad…"

"Well, it didn't work!" I replied cheerily.

Jenna just rolled her eyes.

* * *

We arrived at Paddington at 8:30. That was as far as the train would take us. We got off, pulling our luggage behind us.

"Jenna, did you have to bring the kitchen sink too?"

"Oh, I don't know. Did you forget to pack or something?" Jenna looked pointedly at my two, admittedly small, suitcases.

"Ok, so I did forget to pack. That's the fun of traveling!"

"Having to wear dirty clothes?"

"Nope! Stealing stuff from you!"

"Ah ha! I caught you!"

"Oh no! Whatever shall I do?"

"Thou shalt not steal from Jenna."

I snorted. "Eleventh commandment, eh?"

"You got it babe!" Jenna yelled, then snapped and pointed finger-guns at me.

We laughed.

"I forgot to ask! Where are we going now?" I couldn't believe I forgot…

"Kings Cross. Platform 9 and ¾."

"Sweet! Maybe we'll meet Harry…"

"Only if we can get a taxi!"

That set us off in search of a taxi willing to drive two exhausted, hyperactive, American college grads in rush-hour.

Jenna somehow managed to get a taxi immediately. I thought they couldn't even see her, she's so short, but they weren't stopping for me. Who was I to argue?

We got in, and told the cabbie Kings Cross. We set off.

* * *

At 8:50, we felt the ground shake. We looked around, then at each other. It had to be an earthquake. Maybe a very minor one, but it was still a little quake. We were almost to Euston Station.

When we got to Euston Station, we saw that the road was closed.

"Is there another way to get to Kings Cross?" Jenna asked the cabbie.

"There is, but that would take a long time."

"Right! We'll get out and go underground then!" Jenna decided, and started getting out.

"Jenna!" I squeaked. " Won't we get lost down there?"

"Nah. Come on Diem! Don't freak out!"

I gulped and got out of the car.

Euston Station was in a panic. People were streaming out of the underground in a panic. Some were crying.

"What's going on here?" I wondered, because this did not seem normal. I then spotted a familiar face. It was my good friend George from the airplane, and Ellen, his wife, was sitting next to him.

Jenna and I walked over.

"George!" I called, hoping he would hear me.

He lifted his head, and spotted me in the frantic crowd.

"Hello Diem. Jenna."

"Hi George," Jenna said, smiling. Even though he teased her on the airplane, they had become fast friends.

"Do you know what's going on George?" I asked.

"It was some kind of explosion. We're not quite sure what it was exactly though."

A whistle sounded near the entrance, then a man spoke into a bullhorn. "You will be boarding buses in twenty minutes to get you to your destination. Please proceed in an orderly fashion. Thank you."

Jenna and I sighed. We wouldn't be seeing Kings Cross today.

Xx_xXOo_oOXx_xX

* * *

**A/N:** So? Tell me what you think! Ask me lots of questions! (Even if I can't answer them directly because it would spoil the surprise, I love leaving teasers!)

Feed the little button down there. It looks a little skinny…jk jk :P


	4. Sleep

**A/N: Ok, so I know this is super-duper late and what not, but it's here now, right? The words in italics are thoughts, and the flashback is in between these little cuties: ****Xx_xXOo_oOXx_xX ****Right! So, many thanks to all the people who reviewed, and to my lovely beta _Spoodles, _and on to the chapter! Oh! Ummm...I don't own anything, despite my fondest hopes and dreams.**

The Hunt For Jenna Mason

Chapter 4 - Sleep

After I finished wiping my tears, I climbed into bed, not bothering to change. I was exhausted. But I did take off my shoes and jewelry before slipping beneath the black comforter.

"Aren't you going to change?" Hayarta asked.

"No."

Hayarta shrugged, and then climbed into bed as well. If I was going to sleep in my clothes, then so was he.

"Are you going to sleep with your boots on?" I asked. I hated having shoes on the bed. Something about them touching the dirty floor all the time just gets to me.

"Are you going to let me hold you?" Hayarta replied.

I couldn't afford to depend on him to sleep. That was a luxury that wasn't going to be available after tonight. _Be strong, Diem._ "No."

"Then I'm not taking my boots off."

"Fine then," I huffed.

"What are you so mad about, really?"

I rolled onto my side, facing away from him. "Nothing."

"We've been married two years. I think I can tell when you're lying."

"You know, I really don't feel like talking about it." _At least with you_.

Hayarta hesitated, and then said, "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong, you know."

I looked over my shoulder at him. "You wouldn't help me anyway. Just go to sleep."

I closed my eyes, and tried to fall asleep. I would need my energy for tomorrow.

Xx_xXOo_oOXx_xX

People were all around us, freaking out in their own little ways. Some were shaking, others were pacing. Some were still just silent. The setting was way too serious.

George and Ellen sat close together, Ellen's hand wrapped tenderly in George's. I had thought they were married for sixty years at least, but when they were sitting there together, I could have sworn that they had just fallen in love.

I smiled. This was just too cute! But the whole room was just too serious! I decided it was time to liven up the room a bit.

"Jenna," I called. George looked around interestedly. It was time to poke some fun at Jenna, and he wouldn't miss it.

"Gullible is not written on the ceiling."

I stared at her. She had never done that before…man, she was getting good.

"Well, how do you know?" I asked.

Jenna was silent for a while, looking embarrassed. After a while, she replied hesitantly, "I – I already looked."

George and I burst into laughter and high-fived. We might have been denied giving the punch line, but this was just as awesome.

We were the only ones laughing in the building.

Jenna and I decided to stick with George and Ellen. We didn't really know where else we wanted to go. We figured it would be best if we stuck with people we knew. Not that we really had a choice.

Everyone was frightened. Smoke was pouring out of the entrances to the Underground. There was a rush to get on bus #30 at around 9:30. All four of us managed to get on. Jenna and I were in the front on the lower deck. George and Ellen were on the upper deck somewhere.

"Well," I said, "at least we got to ride on a double decker…"

Jenna looked at me and half-smiled. "Too bad we're not on the top though."

"Do you think these things have seatbelts?" I wondered out loud, and then looked around for some. "I don't see any, but they could be hiding in the seat I guess." I was trying to act normal. People around me were scared, and I wanted to be strong. I bounced on the seat, ready to go discover London.

Not being on the upper deck was disappointing, but at least we got to ride on the bus. I still wanted to go around London listening to the music in my head and looking at all the sites, pretending to be in a movie. This wasn't about to put a damper on my fun! Being on the bus was all that counted.

"I wonder where George and Ellen are going," Jenna said.

"Probably home," I replied. "They do live here…I think. Yep. Most definitely. George has an accent."

"Just because he has an accent doesn't mean he's from London Diem! He could live in some other town!"

"Then why'd he get on the bus?"

"Probably because he had to, just like us." Jenna rolled her eyes.

The bus started moving then, and I shut up and looked out the window. It wasn't that great of a view, but I was seeing London for the first time.

A while later, the bus exploded.

I flew into the street, hitting my head as I slid across the pavement. I blacked out for a moment. When I woke, I saw smoke, body parts everywhere, and heard people running around and screaming, sirens slowly approaching. The smell of burning flesh stung my nose. I forced down the urge to gag and looked around for Jenna. She was next to me, lying in a pool of blood. I closed my eyes, unwilling to see what I thought was Jenna's dead body. The screaming and sirens faded slowly, and I slipped into unconsciousness.

When I woke up again, I was in a hospital.

The report was on the television, and I heard about the horror I had lived through, saw the wreckage, and knew I had been one of the lucky ones.

Xx_xXOo_oOXx_xX

I couldn't sleep. Neither could Hayarta. I knew because when someone knocked on the door at two o'clock, he didn't waste any time pretending to wake up.

He listened to whoever had come to the door for a bit, and then came back to get his cloak.

I pretended to be asleep, and he left silently.

When Hayarta returned thirty minutes later, I was still awake.

He climbed into bed. With his boots on.

"Hayarta," I whispered. He froze, and I could tell he was listening. _I can't believe I'm doing this,_ I thought, but plowed on. "Take your boots off."

Hayarta immediately sat up, unlaced his boots, and chucked them onto the floor.

After Hayarta had lain back down, I crawled over and laid down next to him. I stretched my arm over his chest, put my head on his shoulder, and fell instantly asleep.

* * *

**A/N: **July 7, 2005 – Four bombs exploded in London, all orchestrated by terrorists. Three on the Underground trains, one on a double-decker bus. More than 50 people were killed, including 13 on the bus. 700+ people were also wounded. The U.S. State Department confirmed at least two Americans were injured in the bombings, and two more were possibly hurt.

You can read the whole report on CNN World. The articles are entitled "Investigators pick through London carnage" (July 08, 2005), and "Bus driver recounts bomb horror" (July 09, 2005).

**Thanks for reading! If you got this far :) I hope you enjoyed! I don't mean to cause offense with sticking this event in my story. I'm gonna...be quiet now.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** Well, this is awkward. I sure hope you guys like this. It only took me three years to write it, so it's probably not very good... jk! I think it's awesome! Oh and uh, the plot thickens _next _chapter, So don't worry, ok? I promise, it's half-written too, so it should be done in another 6 years. Man, I'm gonna be 50 when this is done! Anyways, enjoy! Flashbacks are in between these things: XxXoOoXxX

* * *

The Hunt for Jenna Mason

Chapter 5

XxXoOoXxX

It was dark when I woke up. Dark and cold. I guess that's what happens when you wake up in the middle of the night at a hospital. Those places are never warm.

My head ached. My body felt sore. My broken leg decided to scream its pain for the world to hear. It throbbed in its cast with a vengeance, like it was screaming _how could you do this to me?!_ I had no answer.

Overall, I felt like I had been run over, which really wasn't far from the truth. Being in an explosion and just barely surviving can do that to a person. I wanted to sleep, but that sweet release was rather elusive. Instead, I pushed the button that brought a nurse running.

"Are you in pain?" the friendly night-nurse queried.

In response, I just nodded. She left quickly and came back with a needle. She pushed the needle slowly into my IV and pressed the plunger. I felt the cold trickle of numbness creeping up my arm, taking the pain away. Finally, after two or three minutes of feeling my limbs die, I drifted off into glorious, dreamless sleep.

XxXoOoXxX

.

Hayarta gently nudged me awake. He apparently thought I had slept enough. I disagreed. I groaned and rolled over, trying to keep him as far away as possible.

"Diem, get up," Hayarta practically growled at me.

I moaned, ducking my head beneath the covers. "Don't wanna. You're in a bad mood."

He thought that over for a bit, and then I heard Hayarta sigh. The bed dipped where he rested his hand, and I just knew that he had leaned over me.

Then he gently tugged at the blankets covering my head, careful not to scrape me with his claws.

I resisted for a while, just on the principle. After all, I was trapped down here because of him. And Jenna too... and my own sheer stubbornness. And who knew if he was still mad?

"Come on. I'm sorry."

I still resisted, because who's to say I wasn't mad at him?

He eventually succeeded in uncovering my head, leaned down, and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"Fine," I grouched. "You're forgiven. Now go away! I'm gonna sleep some more." With that said, I pulled the covers back over my head and turned so I laid on my stomach.

This of course created another tug-o-war, which I of course lost.

"It doesn't sound like you're happy. What's the matter this time?"

"Nothing," I replied. Wrong, wrong, wrong. So many things were wrong with me down here. I needed the sun, and rain, and dinner with my parents, and crazy ex-boyfriends who stalked me. And most of all, I needed Jenna to be normal again.

What was wrong? I was here, married to a monster-who's-not-a-monster-but-still-is, and my best friend was trapped down here in her own mind, married to an even scarier monster who actually _looked_ like a monster, and I couldn't bring myself to hate Hayarta or the goblins for it. Not for a long time. I hated myself. _That_ was the matter.

"That's a lie. Tell me the truth."

I grunted as I sat up. Hayarta was leaning on the bed still, looking slightly frustrated. I could feel my face pull into a grimace, as I realized just what I had to do, and hated myself a little more.

Cautiously, I made the universal sign to sit down: I patted the bed in front of me.

Hayarta's expression almost made me lose composure. I wanted to laugh at his very confused look. The skin around his eyes pulled up, his eyebrows raised slightly, and his mouth changed from a thin line to a slightly agape oval.

I didn't do this very often.

He slowly turned backwards and sat down on the bed, turning even more slowly to face me.

Once I could see both his eyes, I started inching forward.

"Look, I know you aren't going to like this, but..." I trailed off. The hurt expression on Hayarta's face made me want to cringe.

I decided for a new approach.

"I'm sorry, Hay, but I don't want to tell you." I reached up with both hands, brushing my fingers across his cheeks. "And its not anything that you can fix, so there's no point worrying about it, ok?" My fingers found their way to the back of Hayarta's head and played with the short hair there.

I watched him carefully for his reaction. My eyes were drawn to his mouth, where his teeth pulled at his bottom lip. I looked at his nose, small and sharp and rather flat. I looked at his hair, wondering if he ever cut it (I hadn't ever seen him do that, and it was always the same length). Eventually, I looked at his eyes, where I stared for a while, waiting for him to finish thinking this over. Finally, he spoke.

"At least that's the truth," Hayarta whispered.

Because I was already there (and _only_ because), I leaned forward and pressed my lips against Hayarta's. My eyelids decided to close on their own, fluttering like they were some silly school-girl having her first kiss. My lips sighed contentedly as I pulled away after a few seconds. My ears tingled when they heard his answering sigh. I felt like someone had set me on fire and left me to burn, starting as a small bud of heat and then the flames licked higher and higher, until I couldn't help myself anymore. My body leaned forward for another one. Hayarta's wonderful arms pulled me closer, capturing me, pouring gas on the flames.

And all the while, my brain was screaming _what's wrong with you?!_

.

XxXoOoXxX

After two weeks of sheer boredom, I finally felt strong enough to go exploring. I groaned softly as I stood, feeling my muscles protest against the unfamiliar strain of standing.

The light blinded me. Naturally, since it was morning, the sun came into my window. The lights were on too, adding a sterile-feeling fluorescent glow to the room.

I grabbed on to my IV pole, my hands white as I gripped it hard. It provided minimal support, (I tipped it over trying to move it) which was kind of funny because that's what people lean on in the movies. It figures that they would be wrong about this.

Finally I decided on just leaning against the wall occasionally, and set out for the door.

I immediately fell over after I no longer had something to hold. A nurse had heard what was going on and ran into the room, trying to see if I was alright.

It was the same nurse that had given me the pain medication during the night. Why wasn't she off yet? I could tell it was probably towards the end of her shift, because her sandy brown hair was falling out of its bun, her uniform was looking very rumpled where someone had gripped it tightly, and she had a look on her face that screamed get me out of here! She wasn't very friendly-looking anymore.

The nurse took one look at me and decided that I had to go to the bathroom, which was sort of true. She picked me up reasonably well and led me the three feet to the little door in my room that led to the bathroom.

Getting back to my bed was even more difficult.

I didn't try exploring for a whole week after that.

XxXoOoXxX

.

"Hayarta," I said, after we were done. "Don't you have to go meet Marak?"

I felt him shift slightly as he replied. "I think he'll understand. I've got a pretty good excuse." The humor in his voice made me want to smack him, but I refrained. "I need to get going though."

Slowly, ever so slowly, Hayarta placed a final kiss on my shoulder, extracted himself from our bed (he took his arms with him, dang it) and walked to the bathroom to take a shower.

I moaned softly and tried to smother myself with a pillow. It didn't work.

* * *

AN: Don't kill me please!


	6. Chapter 6

The Hunt For Jenna Mason

Chapter 6

_What have you done?! _My brain kept yelling at me. _How could you do that?! With him?!_

"Shut up!" I yelled, hoping for some peace. It was obvious I wasn't going to get some anytime soon though, because Hayarta came out of the bathroom, pulling on his black shirt as he walked. Once finished, he walked to his closet and picked out some boots that were hiding beneath a pair of pants.

"Who are you yelling at this time?" he queried as he started pulling on his boots.

I blushed and quickly looked down. _What did you do?! _I considered the question quickly, trying to fight the urge to hide. Obviously, I couldn't answer "me" and I couldn't say anyone else because he would know I was lying, so I didn't say anything. You can't lie if you're silent.

Hayarta straightened up and gave me an exasperated look, probably hoping for an answer but knowing he wasn't going to get one.

"Anyways," he started, hoping I would listen. He returned to lacing his boots. "I have to go to the surface with Marak today." He finished with his boots, strode around the bed, and reached for his black cloak that had... somehow... managed to... find its way onto my side of the room... "We're going to walk the border and make sure the elves are staying out."

Oh? That was interesting. And such great timing, too.

I tried not to let my excitement show on my face but I must have failed, because an embarrassed face is much different than an excited one.

"Don't go getting into trouble, Diem." Hayarta walked over to the bed, leaned over, and planted a quick kiss on me, pulling away before I could smack him. "I'm not going to be here, and Marak certainly won't be, so if you get yourself bitten again you're going to _stay_ paralyzed until I get back. And that's going to be a long time. Probably a couple days." He ran his hand through my hair softly and stepped away.

Perfect. I just had to stop the crazy snake-thing from waking up and I was golden.

I was still sitting on the bed as I watched Hayarta grab his hat and his bag of items needed for magic. I had no idea what was in there besides the healing cream (I have a tendency to deplete his stocks), but I sure didn't want to know. It was probably a bunch of stuff that had revenge written all over it. He moved to exit the bedroom.

"I won't do anything to warrant that, thank you," I quipped back. I tried to muster some dignity as I spoke. "I'm going to be a perfect little angel."

Hayarta stopped at the door and laughed. It was a good laugh, a rich, deep, genuine laugh that no one heard except for me and Marak, and even then not often. Hayarta didn't have a sense of humor when he was working, which was all the time. He laughed so hard he dropped his pack.

After he had finished laughing, Hayarta stooped to grab his pack again and left the bedroom, making his way to the door that led into the hallway. I could hear Hayarta turning the squeaky doorknob (I should probably get that fixed) before I decided to act. I jumped off the bed and ran to the bedroom door.

"Wait!" I called, probably sounding desperate. "How long are you going to be gone for?" I gripped the stone of the doorway, trying not to let my anxiety show.

Hayarta turned back to me, amusement clearly showing on his face. I silently burned with embarrassment, seeing as I wasn't exactly... fully clothed.

"This is new. Why the sudden worry?" He smiled again. _Is that a challenge?!_

"Just answer the question," I shot back, hoping for a straightforward response. I reluctantly let go of the door frame and left the door to our room behind as I started walking towards Hayarta in all my messy-haired glory. I crossed my arms, hoping it would make him give me an answer. I slowed my steps gradually, hoping he wouldn't bail on me before I could reach him. I did _not_ want him thinking I was going to attack him.

I was past the bookcase, where the book I had thrown yesterday rested.

Now I was past the chair I always sat in after visiting Jenna.

There goes the couch. Its eating my metaphorical dust! Not that I was going fast enough to kick up any...

I raised my hands, trying not to appear threatening, which was kind of ridiculous. I mean, who's the magical fairy-tale creature here, anyways?

When I was six or seven steps away from him, Hayarta grinned and pulled the door open. "Don't want to. You'll just have to wonder." He chuckled again as he walked out into the hallway, pulling the door closed with him.

I froze, in shock from not receiving an answer. I shook myself and then jumped the remaining distance to the door, stopping it before it closed. Hayarta was already halfway to the steps which led up to the royal chambers.

_No! _the voice in my head wailed. "Wait!" I yelled. "Don't tell Marak why you're late!"

"Sorry, Diem," I heard him call over his shoulder. "Goblins don't lie." And with that, Hayarta waved at me, started climbing the steps, and let his laughter float back to me.

.

XxXoOoXxX

I finally felt strong enough for another excursion three weeks into my hospital stay. I had a private room, which meant I was bored out of my mind. I didn't have a roommate to keep me up with moans of pain. Worse, I didn't have Jenna to tease. Honestly, what's the point of hospital stays if you can't bug the crap out of your roommate?

What did this call for? Operation: find Jenna's room. Yes, I knew it wasn't a cool name, but I was high on painkillers at the time.

My objective: find Jenna's room, steal her pudding, replace it with my jello, and leave, cackling like a mad bandit all the way.

This was a noble cause.

I decided to go with my previously scrapped plan. That's right. I was going to drag my IV drip around, mostly because if I didn't I would have to rip the needle out. No thank you.

This time when I stood up, my muscles didn't ache. They screamed. I grunted and sat back down quickly. I would have to find some way to carry my jello without hands. I needed both to hold me up on the stand. I couldn't put the jello on my head. I had never been able to walk with things on my head before, and doing so while leaning against a metal pole seemed like too much of a handicap. That plan was out.

I briefly considered putting the jello in my underwear, but that plan was scrapped almost immediately, for obvious reasons. I tried balancing the jello on the stand, but that thing had no flat surfaces and it wouldn't stay on when I jerked the stand around anyways. I eventually settled for leaving the jello, resigning myself to going without pudding.

This was a big sacrifice, and the whole point of Operation: find Jenna's room, was to replace her pudding for my jello. I was robbed of my righteous cause! I almost decided not to go, but I thought of how happy Jenna would be to see me, and that made me get up.

My muscles screamed at me again, rebelling against the sudden workload I had dared to place on them. My knuckles turned white from my grip on the IV stand, and my arms began to ache as they held part of my weight.

_I don't weigh that much. Come on, wimps! _Maybe calling muscles "wimps" isn't the best thing to do but it seemed to work for me as I was able to shuffle forward slightly. I dragged the stand with me as I slowly crossed the room, cursing the whole time.

I was supposed to start physical therapy in a week. Why not get a head start?

After the longest 6 feet of my life, I finally reached the door. I opened it cautiously, making sure no nosey nurses were watching. They would just make me go back to bed, and then where would my mission be?

The coast was clear, and I pushed my door open further. It was the type with hydraulics, making it shut automatically, which meant it was really hard to open. I used to think those doors were cool, because they kept the crazy patients from wandering around the hospitals. Now I was the crazy patient and I silently apologized to everyone I had ever laughed at. I chuckled quietly to myself, appreciating the irony.

My amusement flew away as the strain of opening the door took its toll on my muscles. Screaming doesn't quite explain what it felt like.

I didn't give up though, because I had a mission! And Jenna owed me a pudding anyways, just for being in a separate room and putting me through this hell.

Annoyance, frustration, and finally anger coursed through me as I tried to find the nurse's desk. If I got there, they would have to tell me whether Jenna was here or not. All I had to do was find it, but these hallways lasted forever!

I kept shuffling along, pushing my stand and hoping that I didn't tip it over. I didn't think I could get up if I fell now.

The hospital smelled like antiseptic, which is an awful smell on its own. What was worse was the faint smell of disease and waste hidden partially beneath the artificial clean, making it somehow even more disgusting than normal.

I had hoped I would be used to it now, but I was wrong. If anything, it smelled worse than when I had arrived.

The bright lights highlighted the white walls, making them brighter. It hurt my eyes, and I squinted as I continued my long journey to the nurses' station.

It can't be that far, right?

I looked behind me, and found I had only gone about twenty feet.

XxXoOoXxX

.

Heat traveled down my spine, and I shivered involuntarily. This wouldn't do. I had to leave soon.

I quickly took a shower and got ready for the day. Jeans, a t-shirt, and a cap seemed like appropriate attire. Absolutely no jewelry, although some went into my bag just in case.

I grabbed a length of rope from Hayarta's closet (don't ask me why he had it) and stuffed that in my bag as well. Another change of clothes thrown in, a pair of sneakers on my feet, and I was good to go. All I needed now was Jenna.

I quickly exited my rooms and headed up the stairs Hayarta had taken earlier.

As I climbed the steps I hummed quietly to myself. The tune was made up. I hummed whatever note came to me, even if it was out of tune.

I finally reached the landing I was aiming for and looked ahead. No guards were posted at the doors, which was kind of odd. Maybe the border was having problems.

I shrugged and continued on. After all, this made my job easier. I could go in, grab Jenna, and get out quickly.

When I finally reached the door, I pushed it open cautiously, hoping Jenna hadn't camped in front of it again. That would have been annoying. The door didn't meet with any resistance and I opened it fully, revealing the dark interior of the royal chambers.

Marak liked to keep his chambers especially dark. He said it was to keep his night vision sharp, which of course was the truth. However, I also thought that the darkness was for another reason. He didn't want to freak out Jenna too much.

Marak wasn't what you'd call... handsome. He looked like a monster fresh from hell, which was quite fitting, considering where he ruled. His body-shape was relatively normal, besides the pointy ears and the fingers that had one bone too many, but his features and coloring were anything but. His eyes were completely black (no pupil, no iris, no white; just black), which was scary enough, but his face and body were truly terrifying. Four fangs jutted out of his mouth, two pointing up and two pointing down. He had eyebrows, but other than that he was completely hairless. His skin was dark red, like he had been dipped in dye when he was little and had been bathing in it every day since. Red everywhere, except where cracks ran along, in a dried-mud sort of way. There, his skin was black. When he was younger, Marak had been hit by a spell, cast by the previous Elf King. This spell caused the jagged edges where the red and black skin met to curl up, like he had two separate skins that were battling. It was rather painful, which is why he wrapped himself in bandages that took on the color of his skin. With all these features combined, was it any wonder that I thought he was a demon?

I shuddered, glad that I was married to a "failure" of a goblin.

I shoved all thoughts of Marak aside and hoped that he and Hayarta were gone already. I checked the balcony but it was empty. I sighed and walked further into the suite, glancing around corners and looking under tables. When she wasn't on the balcony, Jenna had a tendency to hide. One time I found her wedged underneath the sofa side-table. Now _that_ took some work to get her out without being bitten. I don't think I succeeded.

I finally found her in the bedroom, sitting on the floor in front of the closet. She didn't look up when I entered. The only reaction I could discern was the slight curling of her hands into fists, and the slight lowering of her head.

I sighed. This wouldn't be fun, but it was necessary.

"Jenna, get up," I commanded, hoping for some sort of response. After a moment she rose gracefully to her feet, raised her head, and looked at me. The spark in her eyes from yesterday still glimmered there, like the reflection of light from a mirror. Blinding, but you had to be at the right angle to see it.

I was definately at the right angle to see it, but it was only a spark. I needed a fire. I needed a blaze. I needed an inferno, because we weren't going to get out without her cooperation.

I glanced around quickly, making sure we were really alone. "Look, Jenna," I started, trying to keep my voice as soft and non-threatening as possible. "We're going to get out of here, but I need your help if you really want to leave." I noticed she was still in her pajamas. That wouldn't do. "Get dressed," I ordered.

I walked over to her dresser and opened the drawers one at a time, grabbing appropriate clothes and shoving them in a bag. When I finished I went for her jewelry, shoving in anything that wasn't obviously magical, until the bag was half-way full. I then turned around and saw Jenna zipping up a dress while trying to balance on a high pair of heels. That was my Jenna, always impractical to a fault.

.

XxXoOoXxX

After what seemed like three days I finally found the nurse's station. After she saw me the nurse immediately jumped up from her seat, wove around the mess that must have been behind the counter, and grabbed me like I was a million dollars about to blow away.

"What are you doing?" the nurse queried as she pulled me to a nearby chair.

"Uh," was my extremely eloquent response. Again, I blame the painkillers. I blinked a couple of times and tried again. "I uh... don't know?"

The nurse fixed me with an exasperated look. She looked fine, but I was obviously testing her patience. "Who are you? Let me see your bracelet."

I instantly covered my wrist with one hand and sealed my lips tight. _Nothing getting out of here, lady. I'm not going back to that room!_

The nurse had had enough and reached for my wrist. She tried to pry my fingers off for a few minutes. I silently struggled, gripping my fingers around my wristband tightly. Every time the nurse lifted one finger up and held it, I shook my arm _(ow ow ow)_, loosening and then breaking her hold on me. The muscles in my arms protested, demanding that I give up quickly before I hurt them more. I tried to ignore them.

After about 5 minutes the nurse shoved my hands away from her, held up her hands in frustration and walked away, leaving me by myself.

I started to shiver. Cold air from a nearby vent blasted me, whipping my flimsy paper gown around. This hospital had apparently never heard of AC overkill.

As the cold air flew over my body, my shivering progressed to shaking. I clutched my gown closed in the back _(seriously, why do they need to see my butt?!)_ and hoped that it would be enough. It wasn't. Like any self-respecting wind that is blocked by flimsy clothes, it just went straight through. It lanced through me with icy fingers and made my cells believe that warmth was overrated.

I sat in that cold plastic chair for what seemed like hours, but was most likely only minutes. A couple of voices soon floated to me down the hall.

"I'm telling you Jo, this girl... she's a monster! She won't even tell me who she is!"

What? Was she new? I had been terrorizing the nurses the entire three weeks I had been stuck in here. I would think most of the nurses hated me by now.

Soon, the nurse who had fought with me rounded the corner. "I have no idea what to do with her!" She was followed closely by the friendly, bathroom loving nurse who had found me on my previous excursion.

I sighed in defeat. She definitely knew who I was.

Jo took a quick look at me. My right hand was wrapped around my left wrist and my face was probably pale from pain. My teeth were making a lot of noise chattering. I was sure she could hear them.

"What are you doing out of your room Diem?" Jo inquired gently. She sat down beside me and gave me a small smile.

I hung my head in shame. "I'm looking for my friend," I mumbled. I didn't know if Jo understood me or not, but there was no way I was going to repeat myself.

Jo nodded, like she understood. "Well, this friend must be very important if you walked all the way out here. Is she a patient?"

"Yes,"I whispered. I slowly increased my volume as I said, "at least I think she is."

Jo nodded once again, as if she understood. She rose from her chair quickly and circled the counter. She seated herself at the computer and looked at me expectantly.

I looked at her, confusion clouding my thoughts. What did she want from me? Wasn't she going to take me back to my room?

My assumption was proven wrong quickly. "Well," Jo started. "What's her name?"

I genuinely smiled then. I sat up straighter in my cold hard plastic chair and proudly called out "Jenna Mason."

Jo typed quickly on the computer. She paused for a moment and scrolled down, reading names as she went. She must not have found anything, because she typed something again.

"Andy, go get Diem a blanket," Jo ordered. The nurse who had fought with me huffed and walked away. "Sorry, this is taking a little longer than I thought," Jo apologized. "The server must be bogged down or something."

I waited silently. Two minutes in, I started fidgeting. Four minutes in I decided to stand up and walk around, which didn't go so well. I hissed in pain as soon as my feet, specifically my right foot, took any weight. I slumped back into the chair and waited again. Jo started shuffling papers around and grabbed a few things from the counter behind her.

Five minutes in, Andy returned with a blanket. Jo stood from her chair and walked back to the front of the counter as Andy draped the blanket around my shoulders. Jo walked closer and I could see she was holding a few pills in her hand.

"Diem, take these. They'll help with the pain."

I didn't argue. I just asked for some water and swallowed them quickly.

"So," I said, once I was done taking the pills. "Are you gonna take me to see Jenna?"

Jo looked quickly at Andy and then back at me. She grimaced and then sighed. Hesitantly, quietly, Jo started speaking.

"Diem, there is no record of Jenna Mason being in this hospital. I decided to look up where the victims of the bombings were sent, to see if I could contact another hospital, but I found the casualties list instead."

I broke out in a cold sweat. My fingers clenched, crushing the paper cup I had previously drained. My heart ached, dreading the new I was about to hear. _No no no no no. This can't be happening. Please tell me her name's not on that list!_

"Her name wasn't on there. I'm going to get a list of all the hospitals in the area that took on survivors. I'll call them and tell you if I find her."

Oh thank goodness, I thought. At least she's still alive. I dropped the smashed cup onto the floor and fell asleep in the (rather uncomfortable) chair

XxXoOoXxX

* * *

**AN: **And you guys thought it would take six years to update. Ha! Don't worry, I may have lied about the six years, but it might take a little longer for the next one. This chapter is dang long. 3,754 words?! I think I just broke my word-count thingy...

I suppose I should put in _another_ disclaimer. So, despite my best attempts, I still don't own anything. Well, this world isn't mine. And you can keep Diem. Hayarta is mine though! Back off foo!

And my beta_ Spoodles_ is made of pure awesome. Just saying ;)

I realize now that I didn't shamelessly beg for reviews last chapter. Let me correct that grievous error here.

Those who review get cookies?

SSK


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